Mr. Skeffington Page #9

Please take me with you, even to Europe.

I won't be any trouble. I promise.

- Fanny. Fanny.

- Please, Daddy. I promise.

Well, darling, there are

wonderful schools in Switzerland.

And mountains.

Oh, Daddy, please speak to Mother.

- Maybe she'll say yes.

- She will, darling, she will.

Oh, Daddy.

Here comes your milk.

I think I'll have some ice cream after all.

Very good. What flavor?

Half peppermint and half strawberry.

- And bring me a plate too.

- Yes, sir.

Oh, Daddy.

Daddy...

...do you think Mother

will be very lonesome?

Not too lonesome, darling.

Yes, Manby.

Mr. Perry Lanks is here to see you.

- You tell him I'll be along in a few minutes.

- Yes, Mrs. Skeffington.

Darling Fanny, I'm terribly sorry

that Mother will be...

... unable to see you this summer, but...

I want the same treatment

you give Fanny Skeffington.

My darling daughter...

... where does the time go?

I thought I could surely

see you this summer.

How does she keep so young?

She has the same

beauty treatments I have.

How perfectly dreadful.

- Show me something else.

- Yes, Mrs. Skeffington.

I know, it's just too awful.

But I can't possibly see you

for luncheon today, Janie.

No.

My darling daughter,

it is terrifying to think...

... that so many years have passed

and we still haven't seen each other...

... but Mother misses you, and...

- Fanny Skeffington. She here?

- You can't get within a mile of her.

- Why not?

- There are a hundred fellows ahead of us.

There's an attractive man.

I'd like to talk to him.

- But, Fanny, he doesn't shave yet.

- And he voted for Roosevelt.

Then he's at least 21 and fair game.

- What's your name?

- Johnny Mitchell.

Well, I'm Fanny Skeffington.

- So nice meeting you.

- Thank you, but we've met before.

No, I would've remembered.

Sorry, but we did.

Your husband introduced us.

Job? When was this?

About 15 years ago.

I was your husband's office boy

and 13 years of age.

It was during summer holiday.

- Are you still an office boy?

- Well, yes...

...but now they call it junior partner.

- In whose firm?

- My father's.

Do I know your father?

You must. He said he almost

committed suicide because of you.

Well, I'll have to look at my records.

Hey, look, who's taking you

in to dinner tonight?

Charlie Gould.

- Well, couldn't you speak to him?

- I guess I could.

- And who's driving you to town tomorrow?

- Millard Crane.

- Well, couldn't I speak to him?

- I don't see why not.

And who's taking you to dinner

tomorrow night?

Janie Clarkson.

But nobody has to speak to her.

- Johnny.

- I love you, Fanny.

You're really very sweet, Johnny.

Oh, that tolerant tone.

That's the only tone

a junior partner hears.

You know, Johnny, if we're going sailing,

we'd better get started.

- It's over an hour's drive to the sound.

- Do we have to go?

But I love sailing.

Yes?

Beg pardon, madam.

There's a young lady here to see you.

- To see me, Clinton?

- Yes, madam. She says she's your daughter.

My daugh...

There must be some mistake.

Excuse me, Johnny.

Thank you, Clinton.

It's not at all the way I pictured it.

It's been done over, hasn't it?

Good heavens, Fanny.

Hello, Mother.

Well, Fanny.

Fanny, darling.

My darling.

This is such a surprise.

Yes, I suppose it is, Mother.

You know, you're the last person

I expected to see.

But I wrote you I was coming,

from Berlin.

Did you? Well, I never received the letter.

Well, I guess the censors

must have confiscated it.

I wrote you what I thought

about the Nazis.

The Nazis. Yes, of course.

Is your father with you?

No. He's still in Berlin.

The Nazis don't frighten him,

but they frighten me, so...

Dad thought maybe I'd better

come back here to you.

So, well...

- So here you are.

- Here I am.

My darling.

You must be weary.

I'll show you to your room.

Johnny, please forgive me.

I completely forgot about you.

Fanny, this is Johnny Mitchell.

Johnny, this is my baby, Fanny.

- How do you do?

- Hello.

Fanny and I haven't seen each other

for years, have we, darling?

- You know, you're very tall for your age.

- Really?

But, Mother, I'm nearly...

Well, yes, perhaps I am.

She's beautiful, isn't she?

She's going to be a stunning woman,

don't you think, Johnny?

Yes, she's going to be.

Johnny and I have a date to go sailing.

I'll show you to your room.

Do you think we ought to?

It gets chilly in the afternoon.

Chilly? Why, Johnny,

you talk as if you were 40...

Fifty years old or something.

Certainly, we're going sailing.

Come, darling.

And when I get back,

we'll talk for days and days.

All right, Mother.

Goodbye, Johnny.

I suppose I'll see you later.

Bye, Fanny.

Hey, wait.

I can't call you both, Fanny.

I tell you what I'll do.

I'll call you Young Fanny, and you...

Well, I'll think of something.

Hey, Fanny!

Fanny!

Come on back here.

You'll get soaked up there.

I'm loving this.

But listen...

...you'll catch your death of cold.

- Don't you worry about me, Johnny.

Well, I do worry about you.

Well, I'm heading for home, anyway.

Fanny!

Dr. Melton, Mrs. Skeffington is very ill.

Can you come over at once?

And, doctor, please hurry.

How's Mother, doctor?

She must be taken

to the hospital immediately.

Oxygen.

A woman is beautiful when she's loved.

You think I would've looked at another

woman if I'd received affection from you?

You're not afraid

of growing old, are you, Fanny?

You can't really love anyone.

You'll never be ugly, Fanny.

Mother passed the crisis last night,

Uncle George.

Remember, not too many visitors.

Mrs. Skeffington doesn't want

to see anyone.

- You mean, not even her daughter?

- Not even her daughter.

- Goodbye, Dr. Melton.

- Goodbye.

Hello. Henri's Beauty Salon?

This is Mrs. Skeffington's maid.

May I speak to Henri, please?

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear it.

Well, I'm sure I can.

I'm very familiar

with Mrs. Skeffington's hair.

No, no. For Mrs. Skeffington...

...so.

Marie. For Mrs. Skeffington,

I want a face pack...

...muscle oil, wrinkle cream, tissue builder,

massage cream and astringent.

Yes, sir. And here

are the eyelashes you asked for.

No.

These are perfect for Mrs. Skeffington.

It's nice of you to be doing

all this for your mother.

- Why shouldn't I?

- Why shouldn't you?

Well, she was never

particularly nice to you.

Well, I think maybe Dad

would want it this way.

Yes, I guess that's true.

By the way, were you able to

get acquainted with her while she was ill?

No. You see, Dr. Melton wouldn't allow

any visitors at the hospital...

...and when she went to the rest home,

she wrote me not to come.

Why do you suppose she'd

never let me see her?

You don't know your mother very well.

She wouldn't want anyone to see her

unless she was looking her best.

And they tell me diphtheria

is no beauty treatment.

That must be Mother now.

- Welcome home, Mrs. Skeffington.

- Thank you, Clinton.

Darlings.

- Fanny, dear.

- Hello, Mother.

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